1. Miles Away

"I just woke up from a fuzzy dream, you never would believe the things I have seen."

I feel weak. I look like I haven't slept in weeks. I thought to myself as I stared in the mirror. The images and visions that were haunting me during the night kept me from getting any amount of quality rest. Some day, I figured, these nightmares had to fade away. It's been a rough six years and because of it, I don't feel 25, I feel more like a 35 year old bat. One of those crazy women who was going to wind up completely alone with fifteen cats or something. I've learned to mask myself well and have put up quite the front of severe attitude that kept most people at bay, the smart ones at least. The dumb ones did learn eventually. These days I just preferred to be left alone, talking to people and becoming friendly with them lead to too many questions. Questions that I didn't want to answer. For some reason people seem to believe that they have some sort of right to know your past and your history, I obviously do not feel the same way. Which would prove why I have no friends but that's ok, solitary life is much much better for me.

It took me a while to settle on this new place to live, it's not easy moving around all of the time but I get this feeling that rolls through me and lets me know when it's time to leave. There's some sort of nomadic or gypsy type of energy inside of me, I get that. I've never been one to overanalyze myself though, especially about moving around frequently. Maybe I don't analyze it because it's never a bad vibe or feeling that I get, it's more of a restlessness. This time I have settled upon the town of Bon Temps in northern Louisiana. I've been here nearly two weeks now and nearly everyday I curse myself for the wonderful choice I had made by choosing to move here. I was not one for heat or humidity. There was something though about this place, something that felt right and something that felt eerie. I figured that this town couldn't be crawling with too many vampires or possibly none at all, they seemed to reside in the more populated areas. The country feel too, I figured, would be a nice touch to life. I wasn't a stranger to small towns, I in fact preferred them. It may not be a huge difference but there is a difference between small town life and country small town life, it was a refreshing feeling to try something new.

Today I start my new job. I'll be working as a bartender at a place called Merlotte's, there really wasn't much else available and I have the experience. Sam Merlotte, the owner, was pretty eager to have me start right away. He wanted me to start working the very night I walked in to the bar/restaurant last week, I made him aware that I had just moved to town and needed about a week to get my new house settled. He had no choice but to accept that. He seemed like he was going to be a good boss, I hate the overbearing type that are constantly looking over your shoulder. Luckily for him he didn't seem the type. I'd hate to have be out on my ass again too soon trying to tie down another job, plus he seemed like a genuine kind of guy that came across as compassionate. I'd really be disappointed if I had to be an asshole to him as I had been to so many others in the past. Upon my first and only impression of some of the waitresses at Merlotte's, there might be a slight problem of annoyance with one or two of them. The buxom perky blonde with the funny name of Sookie, was going to be a true challenge and a test of tolerance for me. When Sam introduced the two of us, she was a little too smiley and a little too talkative. She went on and on about the bar and Sam and the other waitresses and some of the patrons that will be coming in and out. Somehow in all that she said in those few minutes, the only thing that kept ringing around in my head was the simple small statement about a patron, Vampire Bill. He is her boyfriend. She wasn't simply a fangbanger or a familiar, she was in a serious relationship with this vampire. I can't understand this way of life, not anymore. Of course vampires these days are "out of the coffin", they no longer live and lurk in the shadows courtesy of the Japanese invention of synthetic blood. So much has changed. I accepted the change because there is absolutely nothing I can do about it and I can't stay stagnant in life, have to continue moving forward. It was definitely tough in the beginning but I don't hate or dislike vampires in general, let's just say that one had left a very bad taste in my mouth. A taste that has been haunting me psychologically for the past 6 years. I really need to get over it and get past it, I'll never get closure so I don't understand myself and the lingering memories.

It was five o' clock and that meant that I had an hour to get ready and head to work. I had spent the day lazily lounging on the couch and channel surfing. Tonight seemed like it was headed to be a nice change of pace, it'll keep me out of my head and on my feet and the tasks before me. But being a small town I have no idea on whether this bar would be busy at all. I just hoped it'd be busy enough to keep me occupied, there's only so many times you can pretend to wipe down a clean bar. As soon as I was wrapped in the towel from my quick shower, I started thinking about what I should wear. It's not a classy place nor is it the club type, where certain attire is expected, it was a small town country bar. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and headed back to the bathroom to run a comb through my hair. Between the shower, getting dressed and ready I only took about a half hour. I wasn't the overly fussy type about my appearance, I didn't dress for anyone. Clothing to me is all about comfort and function, not fashion or to lure attention. I hardly wore any makeup, just some mascara on my long lashes was enough to make them stand out and some chapstick on lips for both moisture and a little gloss. My hair I usually left down and natural, I only pulled it back into a ponytail if I needed to get it out of my way for whatever work I was doing. It's long enough, just to the bottom of my shoulder blades, and I never waste time dying it. I actually like my natural color, a medium to light brown with some sun kissed blonde highlights throughout. The only problem is that I have a lot of it, my hair is sort of thick so I'm not sure how much it'll be left down in this climate. My hair has a natural wave to it, nothing heavy just kind of tousled looking, so leaving it down and natural was pleasing to the eye. I lucked out in that department.

I arrived to work about ten minutes before my six pm shift was to start. Walking through the back entrance of the bar, I headed down the hallway to Sam's office where I set my purse down on a shelf. The employee's lockers and lounge. I thought to myself and gave a light chuckle. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a voice sounded behind me. I spun around quickly and looked Sam in the eye.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya". He said sheepishly. He definitely saw the startle in my eyes. He reached a hand out to me and touched my shoulder lightly.

"No need to apologize. No harm done. I don't know why but I wasn't expecting to see anyone until I made my way up front". I said frankly and moved away from his touch. He was quick about it but I caught the quick glance over my form in my fitted jeans and t-shirt. I couldn't help but smile to myself and walk to the office door, I moved around him carefully and went up the hallway to the front. I got myself situated behind the bar, taking mental notes as to where the important things were kept. There was no real high priced or fancy liquor here, though they did have some good things.

The first two hours went by easily, being a bartender was not a difficult job for me given my past experience. I do possess the talents of Tom Cruise's character in the movie Cocktail, but performing any of those moves here would just be straight up showing off and I really don't care to impress anyone. Sookie a couple of times made comments as to how well I am fairing behind the bar. She also said she was surprised, which made me laugh. I know the girl isn't dumb or anything of the sorts, I just found it amusing that someone could be so impressed that I took to the bartending job without any hitches. I was lost in my observations of a young man sitting at a table with a couple of friends that I didn't hear the person approach and sit at one of the stools at the bar right in front of me. His voice was low and smooth as he spoke.

"Excuse me, could I bother you for a bottle of True Blood. O positive". When I turned to look at the man making the request, my breath caught in my throat a little. His dark brown eyes just bore into me.

"Uh, sure". Was all I could muster up in response to him. I immediately turned my back to him, grabbed a bottle of the synthetic blood he ordered. I twisted off the cap and placed it in the microwave in front me. I kept my back to him, while I waited on the microwave to finish doing it's job. I was hoping to regain my bearings before having to turn and face him again. There was something familiar about him, he looked somewhat similar to a figure in my past. The brown hair, the brown eyes, the chiseled face, yep a very familiar figure. The microwave had finished so I quickly grabbed the bottle and turned to face the handsome stranger again. His lips curved ever so slightly into a small but pleasing smile, his head was faced downward a little and his eyes had a slight twinkle to them as he looked up at me.

I set the bottle before him, "Anything else?" I said with the release of the breath I had been apparently holding.

Even though the smile from his lips had disappeared, it was still written all over his face and his features which looked as though they had been carved from stone. It wasn't a smile of amusement or a predator looking at his prey, it was more of a curious thing. "Could you tell me your name?" He southern drawl was very appealing and even for a dead man, he still had manners. I was slightly impressed.

"Tristan." Quick and to the point. That's me.

With a gentlemanly nod, "Bill Compton." Was all he said to me in response. He looked at me as though he was waiting for something. But what was I supposed to say or do, I didn't care that he is a vampire nor did I care that he was Sookie's boyfriend. I don't understand that sort of relationship anymore but it didn't mean that I cared either way.

I smiled at him slightly, more so to be polite and said, "Well, let me know if there's anything else you need. Sookie is working that section of the bar tonight if you'd like to find a table or booth to get comfortable in while you wait for her." I pointed to the left side of the bar but his eyes did not follow, he didn't even turn his head. He simply stared at me, with a quick glance here and there at the rest of me.

"Tristan, may I ask where you are from?" For some reason the vampire was making some small talk with me. Strange.

"No where in particular, all over the place really."

"Where is the last place you lived? Surely this cannot be a tough question to answer." He said with a slight chuckle.

"Alaska."

"You don't say much but you wont walk away from the conversation either. Which is what I find most people would do if they didn't want to talk or engage in a conversation. Maybe you don't like talking to me because I am a vampire, but if you don't like talking much in general why take on a job where you must interact with strangers regularly?" He had an amused look on his face, like he was proud or something. I didn't quite get it.

"I have no problem with you being a vampire. I have no problems talking either. You will also find that I am not like most people. A job is a job, it pays and that's the end of it. Being a bartender is not a life's passion for me but it'll do for now until I find what that is. I don't engage in conversation with most people and I find those that ask too many questions to be off-putting." I just looked at him blankly, kind of bored. On the inside I was dying to get away from him, not because he was scary or anything silly like that but because the situation was stirring up too many feelings. In the six years that have passed I barely spent longer than a minute with a vamp, which became a challenge once they "came out of the coffin".

"Why off-putting? That says that you have something to hide." He looked at me intently, obviously awaiting my witty reply. I scrunched my eyebrows together somewhat confused by the course that this conversation was starting to take. And I was becoming a little worrisome, did he read minds or something?

"Off-putting…. hmmm…. because I don't appreciate nosey people that stick their nose into everyone else's business by asking a bazillion questions. I simply am not the super talkative type that like to share my life story. I keep to myself for a reason. Doesn't necessarily mean that I have something to hide, just means that I am closed off. Why does it matter to you so fucking much anyway? Why the questions and looking at me like I am some kind of perp or something? Were you a cop/bad detective in your former life and everyone was the bad guy or the suspect?" I am started to get pissed off by this Vampire Bill . What is the deal with him? I glared at him, daring him to respond. I could tell by the look that formed on his face and the positioning of his body that he could tell I was getting mad and that I wasn't going to tolerate being pushed into anything.

"Could we step outside for a moment and continue this conversation with a little more privacy?" I followed his eyes as he started looking around the bar. I noticed that people were glancing over at us somewhat nervously, which I found troubling to understand because I didn't think that I had raised my voice at all during our conversation. Then it dawned on me that Bill isn't exactly super welcome here. The nervous looks that the patrons were passing between Bill and myself were that of anxiety and worry for me especially since Bill's body language wasn't casting him the best light, he looked ready to pounce. Now I knew why this bar had such a turn around and that Sam had trouble keeping employees. Some things have happened here, related or unrelated to Bill.

"Everything alright?" Sookie said as soon as she walked up to the two of us. She had a wide smile plastered on her face, but I read that as sign of her comfort level. She was uneasy. She placed her hand over Bill's in that reassuring way. I found it to be annoying and sighed. Rolling my eyes to Bill.

"Everything is just fine Sookie, Tristan and I are just going to step outside for a few moments to continue our conversation with a little privacy." He said with a soothing smile and patted her hand with his other hand. The he looked at me and nodded his head toward the door. He slid off the bar stool with more grace and ease than anything I have ever seen. Fucking vampires.

With a heavy sigh I made my way around the bar and headed to the front door, the gentleman vampire held the door open for me. Side by side we walked to the far end of the front parking lot. I leaned up against a beat up late 80's model piece of shit car and looked at him in wait. All he did was stare back at me with a look upon his face that wasn't super clear but I took it as a look of him trying to figure something out. Somewhat how someone might look at a troubling puzzle.

"This was super smart on my part." I said dryly. The look on his face changed suddenly, it softened.

"Why? You don't feel as though you are in danger, do you? I wouldn't hurt you. I'm trying to figure you out." Said the vampire.

"Trying to figure me out? Why is there something about me to figure out? What is so suspicious of me? You know, I've moved around quite a bit and been to many places. I've never been treated this way before. Most people get the drift that I prefer to keep to myself and just let me be. But you are getting to the point of grilling me and pushing for something. Just come out with it, get to the point."

"What are you? You're not a vampire or a shifter or a were. I would be able to sense that. You smell human and come across as completely human…" I cut him off immediately.

"What the fuck are you talking about?! I'm not a fucking vampire or the others you said! I smell human? I come across as human? Are you demented or something?" I shouted at him incredulous and wide eyed. I must be dreaming, this can't be a serious line of questioning from a vampire, no less.

"I apologize. I apologize. Please stop shouting. I didn't mean to offend you by those statements. Last week when you met Sookie, she mentioned to me that she couldn't hear your thoughts and she found that odd. She can hear all human's thoughts, except yours. She can't read vampire's thoughts, she gets glimpses of a were's or a shifter's. I though that maybe you were here for her. I was trying to figure that out. I thought maybe Eric had sent you." He had a look upon his face that reminded me a of young boy trying to talk his way out of trouble. He seemed a little nervous, I had no idea as to why.

"Wow…. so there are such things as werewolves and shape shifters. Of course that's not too far fetched considering that vampires do exist." I said mainly to myself, saying it out loud at that moment made me feel a little better. I continued after a brief pause, "So, Sookie can hear people's thoughts, huh? That's not at all invasive. Just because she can't hear my thoughts doesn't mean that I am not human. You, the vampire, should be able to tell very easily that I am human. Fuck! This is such a strange conversation. Pinch me, this can't be real." I let out a loud sigh and looked at the ground trying to wrap my thoughts around this. I had a flash of thought, "And who the hell is Eric?" I stared at him with a very stern look on my face.

"Uh, I'm afraid I have said too much. I only said as much as I had because, well, I was worried that you might be after Sookie. Eric would be clever enough to send a human." He said that last part very softly to himself. "If you are indeed human, which I can see you are, why isn't Sookie able to hear your thoughts?" He was giving me the wide-eyed boy wonder look again.

"I have no idea, nor do I care. I find it very wrong that she even tried. You keep mentioning the name Eric, you better tell me who he is or I'll go about founding him out my own way. And in my own way, you should know, that your name might come up. Mr. Bill Compton."

"You really wouldn't want to go bothering Eric. Forget I mentioned the name. For your sake and mine, please let that one go. I apologize for offending you by my actions and the things I have said. I became a little worried after learning she can't hear your thoughts, we've had some troubles lately. People or I should say other creatures that go bump in the night have been after Sookie."

"Why?"

"Her…. ah…. gift." He had to think of a clever way to put it. I can't agree with the choice of word but I figured it would be losing argument if I even went there. At this point I felt a bit drained and didn't want this conversation to drag on any further. Plus I figured I better get back inside, we'd been out here a while and I am on the clock. Without saying a word I pulled myself off the car I was leaning against and headed back for the bar. I received a lot of looks and stares when I came walking through the door. Some looked surprised to see me again, surely they couldn't have thought that big bad Bill would've done away with me. I laughed to myself with that thought. The rest of the night went by rather smoothly. Bill never came back into the bar and Sookie of course had questions for me. I gave her just the facts, he was protecting her because I came across as suspicious that she can't hear my thoughts. She of course apologized profusely. It was down right annoying. Why should she apologize for the actions of someone else? I got the impression that she was just as over protective of Bill as he was of her, she desperately wanted him to be accepted. His "mainstreaming" wasn't going super smoothly I gathered. I did ask her about Eric, you can say that curiosity killed the cat. He was interesting to learn about, but nothing she told me about him surprised me. Don't know what Bill's issue with him is but Eric seems like any other vampire to me. Though Sookie did mention that Eric is the sheriff of area 5, whatever that means.

I got home around 3am and went straight to bed. My mind was swirling with all of the information I received during my first night on the job. Sure, Bill was handsome but he was with Sookie. Sookie can hear people's thoughts. Eric….. hmmmm…. not sure why I kept thinking of him. I eventually drifted off into sleep but the nightmares didn't subside even with all of the new happenings.

The week went by fairly smoothly. Sookie was the only person that tried to speak to me regularly, for some reason she thought that we were somewhat bonded considering some of the things I now know about her. The two nights Bill came into the bar he simply said hello and went on his merry way, sitting in Sookie's section waiting for her to get off work. I found the line cook, Lafayette to be very funny and entertaining but I didn't bother to really talk to him. I wasn't that interested, he just made the time pass by a little quicker at work. Sam had some wondering eyes but I really didn't mind, he was a decently looking guy and very sweet. But I knew he was sweet on Sookie, she seemed to be a hot commodity amongst the supernatural. Sookie let slip about Sam, I wasn't surprised for some reason but it did turn me off him a bit. I didn't want to go down that road again, not even a little. I heard Eric's name a few more times, never really spoken about in a good light. The mystery of him was wearing off and I was no longer super intrigued by him. He owned a vampire bar in Shreveport, about 45 minutes away from Bon Temps, called Fangtasia. That almost sparked my interest again, but there was no way I would willingly put myself in a room with that many vampires. I would probably have some sort of panic attack if I did.

It was a night off and I was hanging out on the couch watching some reruns of Roseanne, it must have been close to 7:30 when I heard the knock sound on my door. Which confused me because I had no idea that anyone had a clue where I lived. Of course it was possible that word could have gotten around this small town, I'm sure the gossip queens passed it around if someone found out by chance. I figured that everyone probably knew my address. The bigger surprise was when I opened the door, the brown eyed beauty was standing on my front porch.

"Bill, what are you doing here?" I asked, a bit puzzled by his presence.

"I need your help with something, ah, maybe with someone that you know." He spoke slowly and carefully. "May I come in? I cannot enter your home unless invited."

"I know that. I haven't been living under a rock the past couple of years. Come on in." I have to admit I am a bit relieved that he didn't seem to know any of my history with vampires, otherwise, he wouldn't have made that statement. I was curious as to the someone that you know statement.

"Thank you." He slipped passed me and headed into the living room. He stood next to the couch and I motioned for him to sit and make himself comfortable. I sat in the sofa chair to the right of the couch, I figured it would be inappropriate to sit next to him on the couch. Don't want anyone, including myself, getting the wrong idea.

"So…. what is this about?" Psychologically I was sitting on the edge of my seat, but I didn't want to physically show that so I sat back with a calm and ease.

Before he told me anything about the reason for his visit, I received a long dissertation on the vampire hierarchy. Which was fascinating, I had no idea that they were that organized and that governed by their own doing. He finally got to reason of his visit.

"Do you know of a young woman by the name of Jenna Leal? She's in a bit of trouble." Said Bill the chief investigator of area 5.

"Blonde chick? Spunky? Likes to tell some fabulous tales?" He nodded with each question. "Interesting that you came to me about her. I don't know her all that well." I was trying to place her in my head and understand why I would be connected to her in any way.

"Well, she's being held at Fangtasia. She's committed a horrific crime against vampires and she will be punished for it. During questioning, Pam was going through Jenna's phone contacts and asking her one by one if she sold V to anyone in her contact list. One of the names in her contact list was yours. I must have had some sort of brief reaction splash across my face for an instant and well, Eric noticed. I explained about my surprise because I know that you aren't really social so it caught me off guard to hear your name."

"None of that sounds all that bad. I seriously didn't know her well. We worked together for a few months and I hardly talked to her. That was two or three years ago and she only had my number because she was trying to see about switching shifts at work. None of the contact information is correct anymore, obviously. So, why is this a big deal?" I asked, sounding a bit confused.

"It's a big deal because Eric has demanded your presence tomorrow night at Fangtasia. He wants to question you personally about Mrs. Leal. I'm afraid I must apologize, my defense of you has caused Eric to have quite some interest in you." Bill looked down at his feet and then slowly looked to meet my eyes. I am completely unaffected by this and I think he can tell that. I wonder if he can sense any of the anxiety I'm starting to feel about having to go to the vampire bar.

"Don't apologize. It's annoying. You may think of this Eric as the head honcho or the big bad wolf but I do not. He wants to ask me some questions, then he can ask and I'll answer. I appreciate you coming to my defense and standing up for my character, I wont forget that. After knowing his reasons for being so interested in Sookie, I understand why he could possibly be interested in me. Tell him I'll see him tomorrow night. What time should I be there?"

"Midnight. I'll pick you up here at eleven." With that he stood up and headed towards the front door. I follow and stood in the doorway as he turned to face me on the porch. "Thank you for being understanding. This went much more smoothly than I thought. I wished you didn't have to be dragged into this mess." The sincere look in his eyes and the warm gentle smile on his face told me that he really meant it.

"I've been through some things in my life. I know you and many others have picked up on that. Things that have happened to me in my life have shaped me into the person that I am today. I keep to myself for those reasons, everything is broken and I am trying day by day to put the pieces back together. This meeting with Eric doesn't scare me or even worry me. Six years ago, all my dreams faded away. I'll never be the same because of it. I don't hold onto life or material things the same as other people do anymore." This outpouring had a knot forming in my throat and I could feel my eyes getting a little more moist. What surprised me even more was that I was telling this to a vampire, the last place I thought these words would fall.

He looked at me for a long time. Maybe he was waiting for me to let go and cry but it never happened. I searched his face for something, I saw a longing and I could tell that he wanted to comfort me but wasn't sure how or if he should. He took a few steps toward me, wrapped his arms around me and held me. Nothing more, nothing less. Twenty minutes later he turned and walked away into the night.